As the summer quickly approaches, I am looking forward to moving to Richmond and beginning the next chapter in my life as the Head of School at Cardinal Newman Academy. I am excited to get started.
But what exactly am I excited about? What is my goal for CNA? It is simple: to have it be the best school in the country. I want our school to offer students the best possible experience of the truth in all of its glorious and wonderful facets. Although these facets present different aspects of the truth, it is good to recall that all study of truth is fundamentally the study of one thing: God. This ultimate reality of things will permeate and order the academic experience at Cardinal Newman Academy.
Too often, schools fail to offer students anything resembling a rational whole because they have no integer: no one thing that orders and gives meaning to everything in the course of studies. Without such an integrating principle, education seems arbitrary at best and meaningless at worst. This will not be the case at Cardinal Newman Academy. Everything relating to the life of the school will have its proper place, understood in light of the integrating principle of the school.
I am excited to begin this noble mission at Cardinal Newman Academy. I look forward to meeting you all and working with you to make this school a truly great place. As St. Paul reminds us, we can do all things in Christ. Please pray for me and pray for the continued success of Cardinal Newman Academy.
In Christ,
Steve Fitzpatrick Incoming Head of School Cardinal Newman Academy
With great excitement, I am pleased to announce the hiring of our next Head of School: Stephen Fitzpatrick. Starting this Fall, Steve will lead our continued growth and will work closely with the Board of Directors and faculty in shepherding our vision for a unique academic and faith environment that serves the Richmond Catholic community.
He will also work closely with Dr. Eileen Lapington, who will be stepping down from her role as Director at the end of the academic year. Eileen looks forward to contributing to the life and growth of our school in new ways, both inside and outside the classroom.
Steve holds an undergraduate degree in the Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College and a master’s degree in Theology from the University of Scranton.
Steve has been a teacher, administrator, and coach in several public and Catholic schools in both Canada and the United States, most recently Gregory the Great Academy in Pennsylvania where he currently teaches. He has taught a wide array of disciplines including Latin, algebra, geometry, humanities, physics, science, music, and writing. He has also held several administrative positions and has considerable experience in teacher training and development.
Steve and his wife Vanessa are the proud parents of five children, and in his spare time he enjoys playing music, reading, and playing with his kids. Steve has contributed to Crisis Magazine and has lectured at the Wojtyla Summer Institute for Teachers.
“I am excited and humbled by the opportunity to join the wonderful team at Cardinal Newman Academy and will strive every day to be worthy of the great trust and responsibility placed in me. I look forward to begin working with the young men and women at the school and helping them ‘to reach out towards truth, and to grasp it.’ It is my goal to lead a school where the academic life is rigorous yet joyful, where the students and teachers alike look forward to being there, and where we all grow in wonder, wisdom, and holiness together.”
We have been immeasurably blessed by Eileen’s leadership as our Founding Director, and we are grateful for her continued role at Cardinal Newman Academy moving forward. And as we welcome Steve as our Head of School, we thank our community for your support and prayers as we continue to build our vision for education in Richmond.
In Christ,
John P. O’Herron President
Cardinal Newman Academy
I am pleased to introduce the newest member of our Board of Directors: Fernando Metcalf.
Fernando has over 20 years of global executive management experience and is the Regional Director for the Southwest and Midwest regions of Movement Mortgage, overseeing a total of 17 states.
Fernando is a graduate of the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain (Law and Theology) and the IE Business School in Madrid, Spain (International Executive MBA), where he has also served on the Senior Leadership Forum under the leadership of Spain’s former Finance Minister and current European Central Bank Vice President. Most recently, Fernando completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at the Harvard Business School.
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“I am very excited to join Cardinal Newman Academy in its efforts to ‘reach out towards truth and grasp it.’ I am humbled by the prospect of serving with such a talented group of individuals and pray that our Mother Mary, Sedes Sapientiae, will intercede and guide us in fulfilling the will of Her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Throughout his career, Fernando has served in different capacities helping organizations expand and grow in various industries, including manufacturing, finance, real estate development, and education. Fernando and his wife Olga have 4 children and attend Saint Edward the Confessor Catholic Church. He spends his free time with his family and volunteering with his local church and several international non-profit organizations. He is passionate about growth, leadership development, building high performing teams and empowering communities.
We are fortunate to have Fernando’s passion and experience on our Board, and we are looking forward to his contributions to the continued growth of our school.
In Christ,
John P. O’Herron
President
Cardinal Newman Academy
Are you intrigued by math puzzles and brainteasers? Do you enjoy playing logic and strategy games? Do you want to enhance your problem solving and mathematical reasoning skills?
Join us.
Cardinal Newman Academy announces their Middle School Math Circle for Spring 2019.
The Circle is open to students in grades 6-8 who are looking for a challenge and are interested in enhancing their appreciation for mathematics, developing their problem solving skills, and discovering new applications for mathematical concepts.
The Circle is a fun, collaborative, and social way for students to develop analytical thinking skills and gain exposure to math reasoning outside the school curriculum.
Thanks to our generous donors, we finished 2018 celebrating another milestone: a successful Christmas Campaign! In total, your support helped us raise over $34,000, exceeding our goal of $30,000.
As we continue to grow and serve the Richmond Catholic community, our community’s support and generosity help shape the education and culture at Cardinal Newman Academy, now and into the future.
You are helping educate the next generation of leaders who will seek in wonder, and serve with joy.
We now look with joyful excitement to 2019 and sharing with you our continued growth and success and how your support is changing lives!
Throughout the year, our benefactors and supporters are remembered in prayer at Cardinal Newman Academy. Thank you!
Happy feast of St. Nicholas! November was a busy month at Cardinal Newman Academy.
We hosted several shadow days with prospective students, as well as our second Admissions Open House.
Welcoming visitors to our school gives me great joy, and I look forward to seeing more new faces as our school continues to grow.
Cemetery Cleanup CNA’s Service Club organized this year’s annual trip to East End Cemetery. We joined volunteers from VCU to help clean this historical cemetery. The event is always a great opportunity for our students, families, faculty, and Board to come together in service and in prayer for those who have gone to their eternal rest.
Annual Pilgrimage Every year, our students participate in a pilgrimage. “To step out of ourselves and encounter God,” in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, is a great gift. Last month, students toured the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, then walked to St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the original cathedral of our Diocese, for noon mass.
Fencing returns! Our former Olympian and Coach Dee Hayes has returned to CNA this year to continue offering fencing to our students. We’re grateful to have her, and our fencers are improving their skill and discipline!
Around the halls
Students have been reading Faulkner, Tolkien, and Thucydides, and discussed virtue in public life;
In Enrichment, we offered our rosaries for the poor souls in Purgatory and spent time reflecting on death and eternity;
Our students engaged in a fierce door decorating competition (see below);
In Natural History, our students are completing projects on birds and updating their journal entries;
In music, students are presenting on various composers and will be attending a concert and choral performance at the University of Richmond.
Looking ahead :
Stay tuned for an announcement next week on this year’s Christmas Challenge . Last year, you helped us raise over twice our initial goal!!
Check your inbox and our Facebook page next week for information on how you can join our challenge and support our growing school.
